Plastic container and package



March 10, 1970 2 I s. BEARNEY PLASTIC CONTAINER AND PACKAGE Fiied Dec. 19, 1967 (l3 /l6 22 ge 2a l6 A r l5 I5 23 2 l I 22 /17 22 ls LIB L FIG.4 v F .5

United States Patent 3,499,582 PLASTIC CONTAINER AND PACKAGE Sheldon Berney, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, assignor to Reliance Products Ltd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Filed Dec. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 691,827 Int. Cl. B67d /06 US. Cl. 222-183 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in plastic containers and packaging therefor.

A substantially cubical flexible plastic container is well known and is exemplified by my corresponding US. Patent No. 3,171,573.

Such combinations are sometimes provided with a carrying handle attached to the surrounding package in order to facilitate the carrying of the package. However, when one considers a five gallon container for example, which is one of the popular sizes, it will be appreciated that, when full, it represents some 50 or 60 pounds in weight and I have found that handles provided on the package are not strong enough to support this type of weight.

I have therefore provided means in the upper panel of the package whereby the handle attached to the container may be made accessible so that the entire load is carried by this handle rather than by the package.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the handle and pouring spout are enclosed completely within the package until such time as it is required to dispense the contents.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the handle is hollow and communicates with the container thus acting as an air intake vent when pouring and also as a level indicator under certain dispensing conditions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing considerations in view, and such other objects, purposes or advantages as may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept exhibited in the method, process, construction, arrangement of parts, or new use of any of the foregoing herein particularly exemplified in one or more specific embodiments of such concept, reference being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the container and package with the outer flaps in the up or unfolded position.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but with the outer flaps in the packaging position and the break-away portions bent inwardly for access to the handle.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the container per se.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the package with the access panel unbroken.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary isometric view showing I 3,499,582 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 ice , the container and package in one dispensing position under which circumstances the handle is acting as a level indicator of the contents.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference character 10 generally indicates the package and reference character 11, the substantially flexible, plastic cubical container situated within the package.

The package consists of opposing pairs of side walls 12 and 13, said side walls 12 having inner flaps 14 extending from the upper edges 15 thereof.

The "opposing side walls 13 are provided with outer flaps 16 extending upwardly from the upper edges 17 thereof and these flaps 16 are situated at right angles to the inner flaps 14.

The inner'flaps 14 are provided with substantially rectangular cutouts 18 within the outer edge 19 of the flaps, said cutouts being centrally located so that when the inner flaps are in the packaging position as shown in FIGURE 1, these cutouts form a substantially rectangular aperture or opening 20 as shown in FIGURE 1.

Break-away portions 21 are formed centrally along the outer edge 22 of the outer flaps 16, the side edges 23 being severed from the main panel with the base edge 24 being creased or weakened so that the flap can be bent downwardly and inwardly when desired.

The inner flaps are folded inwardly into the position shown in FIGURE 1 over the container whereupon the outer flaps 16 are folded downwardly to overlie the inner flaps so that they take up the position shown in FIG- URE 4.

When it is desired to obtain access to the handle 25 of the container 11, it is merely necessary to bend the breakaway portions 21 downwardly and inwardly so that they pass each side of the handle 25 and take up the position shown in FIGURE 2. This means that the handle 25 can be grasped by the hand thus enabling the entire package and contents to be lifted readily and easily.

The container 11 is provided with handle 25 as hereinbefore described and it is preferable that this handle be hollow and that it communicates with the interior of the container 11. A combination filling and dispensing spout assembly 26 is formed in the upper wall 27 of the container adjacent one end 28 of the handle 25. When the contents are being poured out of the spout 26, air can vent downwardly through the spout, through the handle 25 and into the air space 29 within the container thus assisting in the dispensing of the contents.

This handle is also of further use when liquids are being dispensed from the position shown in FIGURE 5. The handle being substantially transparent, acts as a sight glass or level indicator thus showing the contents remaining within the container at all times. Reference character 30 in FIGURE 5 illustrates the fluid level under these circumstances.

The handle 25, when the package surrounds the container, extends longitudinally of the rectangular recess 20 as shown in FIGURE 1 thus enabling same to be grasped readily and easily. A break-away portion 31 is also provided on the junction between upper edge 15 and flap 14, lines of weakness being provided so that it can be broken away for access to the dispensing spout 2-6 which is normally contained within the package until required.

container, said package being made of cardboard-like material and having a rectangular boxshaped form including first and second pairs of opposing side walls and first and second pairs of flaps connected to upper edges of the respective first and second pairs of side walls whereby to constitute a composite top wall of the package, both pairs of flaps being flat and the flaps in each pair having closely adjacent inner end edges so that each pair of flaps covers substantially the entire area of the package top with the second pair of flaps being superposed on and right-angularly overlapping the first pair of flaps, the inner end edge portions of the first pair of flaps being provided with centrally located rectangular cut-outs defining an elongated opening disposed longitudinally above and along opposite sides of said container handle, and the inner end edge portions of the second pair of flaps being provided with initially flat but depressible flap portions which are substantially coextensive with and normally cover said opening, said flap portions being depressible about crease lines parallel to and located at opposite sides of said container handle, so that when they are depressed into said opening, access to said handle may be had.

2. A special package for a container having an elongated handle at the top thereof, said package being made of cardboard-like material and having a rectangular boxshaped form including first and second pairs of opposing side walls and first and second pairs of flaps connected to upper edges of the respective first and second pairs of side Walls whereby to constitute a composite top wall of the package, both pairs of flaps being fiat and the flaps in each pair having closely adjacent inner end edges so that each pair of flaps covers substantially the entire area of the package top with the second pair of flaps being superposed on and right-angularly overlapping the first pair of flaps, the inner end edge portions of the first pair of flaps being provided with centrally located rectangular cut-outs defining an elongated opening adapted to be disposed longitudinally above and along opposite sides of a container handle, and the inner end'edge portions of the second pair of flaps being provided with initially flat but depressible flap portions which are substantially coextensive With and normally cover said opening, said flap portions being depressible about crease lines parallel to and located at opposite sides of said opening, so that when they are depressed into the opening, access to the container handle may be had.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,433 8/ 1926 Towle 2296 2,673,007 3/1954 Debrie 222l 2,954,901 10/ 1960 Winstead 222183 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,059,930 9/1964 Great Britain.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

